The odds look pretty slim for fending off an alien invasion with UFOs menacingly hovering about, causing individuals to disappear. Two scientists see the handwriting on the wall, figuring they have better odds if they exit the crisis at hand and instead play the New York Lottery’s Take 5 game which gives players a one in nine chance of winning.
Tom Kuntz of MJZ directed this comedy spot conceived by McCann New York, for which a fleet of spaceships was created by Eight VFX.
Client New York Lottery Agency McCann New York Eric Silver, North American chief creative officer; Sean Bryan, Tom Murphy, chief creative officers, NY; Mat Bisher, Dan Donovan, executive creative directors; Jason Ashlock, Dominick Baccollo, creative directors; Johan Leandersson, sr. art director; Andy Sciamanna, sr. copywriter; Nathy Aviram, chief production officer; Tamara Lecker, sr. producer; Eric Johnson, SVP, executive music producer; Dan Gross, music producer; Laura Frank, VP, strategy director. Production MJZ Tom Kuntz, director; David Zander, president; Ericks Krumins, sr. exec producer. Editorial Rock Paper Scissors Carlos Arias, editor; Eve Kornblum, exec producer; Maria Lee, assistant editor; Taylor Colbert, producer. VFX Eight VFX, bicoastal Jean Marc Demmer, ECD/VFX supervisor; Baptiste Andrieux, managing director/exec producer; Abbe Daniel, exec producer; Shira Boardman, exec producer; Luc Job, sr. lead flame artist; Julien Aucouturier, flame artist; Gavin Guerra, CG supervisor/animation; Santosh Sailesh, CG animation; Hilary Downes, producer; Keigo Tanako, VFX coordinator. (Toolbox: Maya, Flame, Nuke). Music Cavalry Audio Post Heard City Telecine Company 3
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick. The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs. “I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years. Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. “There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
